The Internet is enjoying widespread popularity today, in big part due to the ability to view, listen, and interact with rich-media, including online movies, music, and games. Today's media players, such as the Windows Media Player marketed by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., and the RealOne Player marketed by RealNetworks Incorporated, of Seattle, Wash., are easy to use and enable users to enjoy the full range of digital media activities, including playback of CD audio, streaming, and downloaded audio and video.
Although rich media files can be accessed by downloading through a low-speed Internet connection, the viewing and/or listening experience is much improved by streaming and fast Internet connections. Streaming media involves encoding or digitizing the media files and sending them to servers as a series of small data packets that may be viewed by the user in a real-time fashion through the use of a media player, like the Microsoft® Windows Media Player. The rich media and high-speed Internet connections now available make interactive ads, games, and entertainment a highly sought after commodity. Rich media with advanced multimedia characteristics also provide for effective interactive advertising.
As the demand and audience for high-speed rich media grow, the ability to smartly and efficiently target advertising content to viewers of high-speed rich media is becoming increasingly significant. Because of privacy and security issues of concern among users, advertising based on user profiles is not desirable. In light of the above, a significant need exists for a media player system that enables online rich media advertising and marketing campaigns targeting an audience based on the content of the media being accessed. An efficient streamlined system is needed to associate and manage content and media provider relationships across the network.